100 years ago — 1922

The East Oregonian will flash election returns this evening from its building at the corner of Main and Webb streets, the service starting as soon as news is available following the close of the polls at 8 o’clock. Owing to the fact the double election board system is in use in many counties, among them Multnomah news will be available earlier than has been the custom in the past. However the count in Umatilla county will not start until after 8 o’clock so local returns will be meager until after the count has progressed to some extent. Arrangements have been made to secure returns from over the county by telephone and special reports by wire will be received from various Eastern Oregon points on the voting in the congressional election. Be out tonight and watch the returns.

50 years ago — 1972

Thinning a timber stand from 1800 trees per acre to 120 and following up with a range reseeding program proved an eye opener to 25 woodland owners who attended a tour Wednesday near Hardman in Morrow County. Warren Weathers, Pendleton, unit forester for the State Forest Dept., said, “The contrast of the improved and unimproved was the clincher that sold the program.” Tour participants saw a dog-haired stand of non-productive ponderosa pine compared to a parklike stand spaced at 18 feet, with a ground cover of grass. Weathers said another effective improvement practice observed was processing the slash from a pre-commercial thinning on national forest land. This was done with a heavy, spiked roller attached to the blade of a bulldozer. The roller breaks down the slash and the result is quicker decay, a reduction in fire hazard and improved access for grazing.

25 years ago — 1997

The U.S. Forest Service has granted funds to Ione for expansion of the city park to allow for installation of an Oregon Trail kiosk to commemorate the route’s path through town. Getting funds to expand the park and the addition of the kiosk have been appreciated by all Ione residents, said Mayor Betty Gray. But the biggest gift has proven to be the community involvement centered around the expansion. Dennis Stephani and Dennis Thomas, both city council members as well as members of the Ione Community Agri Business Organization, (ICABO), which is designed to promote growth in Ione, have contributed many of their non-working hours to coordinating the installation of underground sprinklers and the leveling of fields. Donations from Pettyjohns and Kinzua Corporation of Heppner have helped pay for many of the sprinklers, pipes and sod. Ione high school math instructor Dale Holland has had a group of precalculus students — Luke Swanson, Steve Allen, LaRee Anderson, Jacob Taylor and Kelly Morgan — at the park for the past several weeks surveying the fields for heights while preparing a map for the city to use for future planning.